Fast track: Council approves westside pedestrian/bike path

The Rhinelander Common Council has signed off on the addition of a pedestrian/bicycle path that will connect westside residents to the rest of the city.

The public trail, to be located on city-owned land, will allow families, children, and individuals to safely walk or bike from their homes to Rhinelander’s parks, schools, downtown area, and other spaces, according to a press release issued by project advocate and westside resident Ben Meyer.

Meyer approached the council last year with a proposal to add a sidewalk to Davenport Street. Two weeks ago, he returned to the council chambers with what was described as a more feasible idea — the addition of a path linking West Hill Road to Phillip Street.

The alderpersons expressed support for further investigation of the idea and directed city administration to bring additional information for further discussion during the panel’s second meeting in October. However, according to city administrator Patrick Reagan, staff did not require that much time.

“I’m here to tell you it’s good to have good staff, because Jeremy Biolo (city parks director) came to me and said I don’t think this is going to be a problem,” Reagan explained.

“I just hear trail and get excited,” Biolo noted. “That’s just my nature, I guess.”

Biolo explained that he visited the area in question the day after the last council meeting and his excitement grew.

“It’s kind of unique where it is sort of in someone’s backyard but that even gets me excited because I think we can do a trail through that and make it aesthetically pleasing and have a pretty accomplished trail... something that will please the neighbors and look nice in the community as well,” he said.

In terms of cost, Biolo reported that the parks and street departments can work together to build the trail themselves.

“I think we have everything need, it would just be our time,” he said. “I think the parks department will work side by side with the street department and we can get some rock and gravel and whatever we need. There may be some red granite, if we choose to go that route, or a couple of trees but I have that within my budget.’

In his press release, Meyer thanked city officials for their attention to this issue.

“Currently, the only way for city residents in the Westhill neighborhood to access the rest of Rhinelander is via Davenport Street,” he wrote. “Davenport Street consistently has heavy vehicle and truck traffic, is narrow, and has no sidewalks for much of its length. The roughly 100 households in the Westhill neighborhood — plus multiple assisted living facilities and a nearby daycare — are effectively cut off from Rhinelander for those wishing to walk or bike.”

“Finally, the isolation will end for people living on the west side of Rhinelander,” he added. “I’m excited to be able to safely walk and bike with my wife and one-year-old son to the rest of our city. My neighbors and I thank administrators and elected officials in Rhinelander for helping make this path possible.”

“It was my pleasure to knock on every door in the Westhill neighborhood to hear opinions and advocate for a solution,” Meyer added. “It was no surprise that I found overwhelming support from my neighbors. I’m grateful to Rhinelander residents for seeing the value in being safely connected to their city.”

The new path will connect the dead-end of Westhill Drive with the corner of Lois and Phillip streets, allowing walkers and bikers to bypass Davenport Street and instead use Phillip Street to access the city. 

Unlike Davenport Street, Phillip Street is wide and partially-sidewalked. It has far less vehicle traffic than Davenport Street, Meyer noted.

“The Oneida County Biking and Walking Trails Council (OCBWTC) has been supportive in finding a safe alternative to navigating Davenport Street for quite some time,” noted OCBWTC President Jackie Cody. who also spoke at the council meeting. “We’re glad the City of Rhinelander is taking tangible steps to make itself more walkable and bikeable. Communities with robust pedestrian and bicycle options are simply healthier, safer, and more attractive places to live.”

The council unanimously approved the construction of the walking path with a deadline of spring 2024.

“One of the things I like about Rhinelander is you can walk just about everywhere in town and this was one area that was kind of left out,” noted alderman Gerald Anderson. “I think it’s a good idea to be taking care of that now.”

Alderperson Carrie Mikalauski, who represents the district where the path will be located, stressed that she’s available to discuss the project with anyone who has concerns.

“I just want to say that I really think this is a great idea and I think there’s more people in favor of it than not in favor of it, and again that is my district and I’m willing to speak with anybody regarding this if they have concerns regarding this.”

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].